Action Center

In this week's update:

Record Early Voting in NC shows Resilience
NCGA passes additional Hurricane Helene disaster relief bill
Resources for Voters with Disabilities
NCDHHS Hope4NC
Resources for Western NC
Register for NASW-NC's 2024 Fall Conference -Nov. 18-19, 2024

Record Early Voting Turnout in the Aftermath of Hurricane Helene Shows the Resilience of North Carolinians

Turnout since last week's start of early voting has been surprisingly strong. Voters set a statewide record of more than 350,000 ballots cast on the first day, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. By Tuesday — the sixth day of early voting — more than 1.3 million in-person and mailed ballots had been cast.

Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections, has repeatedly praised the efforts of local election workers, some of whom lost their own homes. She described the damage as unprecedented and the challenges election officials faced in its wake as daunting. But over the first week of early voting, the process has proved remarkably smooth, with few complaints expressed publicly.

“Mountain people are strong, and the election people who serve them are resilient and tough, too,” she said last week.

Read more from The Associated Press here.

(source: The Associated Press)

NASW-NC encourages you to vote EARLY & IN-PERSON October 17 - November 2. Election day is Tuesday, November 5. NASW-NC Voting Page: https://www.naswnc.org/page/Voting

The NC State Board of Elections unanimously approved measures to help Western NC voters. In response to Hurricane Helene, the NC State Board of Elections has made a website dedicated to election changes in Western North Carolina. NASW-NC encourages you to save this website and share it widely!

If you have any issues while voting or have any questions regarding voting, you can call the nonpartisan NC Election Protection Hotline at 888-OUR-VOTE (888-687-8683).

NCGA passes additional Hurricane Helene disaster relief bill

The General Assembly convened on October 24 and unanimously passed Senate Bill 743, providing an additional $604 million to western NC. This came one day after Governor Cooper’s recommendation to provide $3.9 billion in funding for western NC.

You can read the Governor's full Budget Recommendation of $3.9 billion here. NASW-NC issued an Advocacy Alert asking for social workers to contact their legislators to include the $252 million for Health and Human Services funding. This included:

$33M in mental health support
$26M for Medicaid
$18M for supports for individuals with IDD
$7M for child social services support
$4M for adult social services support

Due to the significant under-funding, NCDHHS will receive only $71.4 million instead.

The $604 million will come from the state’s reserves, also called the state’s “rainy day fund,” which holds $4.47 billion for this exact emergency situation.

As reported by WRAL News, the $604 million would allocate:

$100 million for water and wastewater infrastructure repair loans
$100 million for cash flow loans to local governments
$75 million to match federal disaster relief funds
$50 million to help local and state governments address “unmet needs” not covered by insurance.
$50 million for repairs to damaged public schools
$50 million for bridge loans for small businesses.

You can read more about the bill here: NC lawmakers unanimously approve $600M more for Helene recovery, order more voting sites

Governor Cooper signed Senate Bill 743: The Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 - Part II into law and issued the following statement: “Western North Carolina needs significant investments to recover fully from the worst storm our state has ever seen. Legislators have taken a small step here and should follow it with a more comprehensive package to help families, businesses and communities build back stronger.”

(governor.nc.gov)

Resources for Voters with Disabilities

Know your rights!

Please Note: If you have any problems voting, call the Disability Rights NC voter hotline at 1-888-WEVOTE-2. You can also print out this guide to your voting rights or save the link on your phone to take with you when you vote.

Curbside Voting

Every voting site in North Carolina offers curbside voting for voters who are unable to enter the voting place without physical assistance due to age or disability. A curbside voter has the same rights to assistance as any other voter.

For information on curbside voting, visit the following link: https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/help-voters-disabilities/accessible-voting-sites/curbside-voting

Accessible Absentee Voting for Blind and Visually Impaired Voters

You must be registered to vote to request an absentee ballot. Visit the following link for locations that offer assistance with registering to vote: https://www.ncsbe.gov/registering/national-voter-registration-act-nvra#agencies

You may request, mark, and return an accessible absentee ballot online through the NC Absentee Ballot Portal at the following link: https://votebymail.ncsbe.gov/app/home

In the portal, select Option 1: "Request an Absentee Ballot." Check the box indicating that you require an accessible ballot due to visual impairment. Once processed, your county board of elections will notify you via email when your ballot is ready.

Note: You must have two witnesses present when you mark your ballot, but they should not observe so closely that they can see how you voted.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on the Tuesday before Election Day (October 29th).

For assistance with the NC Absentee Ballot portal as a voter with a visual impairment, please contact the ADA Coordinator for NCBSE at ADACoordinator@ncsbe.gov or 919-814-0705 .

Voters in Care Facilities

Assistance is available for voters in care facilities via Multipartisan Assistance Teams (MAT). For more information on MATs and how to schedule a visit, please see the following webpage: https://www.ncsbe.gov/voting/help-voters-disabilities/assistance-voters-care-facilities

NCDHHS Hope4NC

On October 24, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services announced $2.9 million in federal funding to help increase crisis counseling services for people impacted by Hurricane Helene. The funding is part of the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program administered by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is available to states to address behavioral health care needs and support relief for people in disaster-impacted communities.

Western NC Resources for Hurricane Recovery

The Western NC Resource Guide is a living document that is updated regularly to assist those in western NC with getting up-to-date information as well as accessing supplies and resources.

People in western NC who need reproductive healthcare can request assistance by filling out this form.

NASW-NC’s “Hurricane Helene: How to Help” webpage is regularly updated with additional information and resources.

Register for NASW-NC's Fall Conference -November 18 & 19, 2024

Registration is OPEN for the 2024 NASW-NC Virtual Fall Conference!

View Brochure & Register Here Today!

The Fall Conference is a meeting for the entire profession. Everyone from the social work student to the LCSW in private practice can benefit from the presentation offerings.

Some of this year’s topics include:

Ethical Responsibilities in Assessment and Referral in Care for Teens
Treating Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior Disorders
Fired Up! The Role of Anger in Trauma Recovery
Cultural implications in working with Immigrants and First-Generation Americans
Increasing Cognitive Flexibility and Moving Towards Values with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
And Much More!

You Get ALL the CE!

Because we are in a virtual setting, you benefit by getting MORE CE! 13 hours of CE will be LIVE! All sessions will be recorded and available to view for 3 weeks after the conference for you to receive an additional 18 hours of Recorded CE - a total of 31 hours of CE!

Thank you to the members of NASW-NC for supporting the advocacy work we do. We would not be able to advocate for the social work profession or social justice issues in North Carolina without a robust and engaged NASW membership. If you are a social worker and not a member, we ask that you join NASW today. Our voice is louder with your membership.

Learn more about NASW-NC membership here.

Want this information sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for weekly NASW-NC legislative updates: https://votervoice.net/NASWNC/home

North Carolina Chapter